The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has pushed the May 10 deadline – the weekend after native elections – again to September 10.
A decision is to be finally made by the secretary of state, a place held by Ed Miliband in the intervening time.
Martin McCluskey, minister for vitality shoppers, mentioned the decision is to “enable my department to seek further information from the applicant with sufficient time to allow for consideration of this information by other interested parties”.
He added: “The decision to set the new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.”
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Botley West could be Europe’s largest solar farm, protecting about 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) throughout three areas – north of Woodstock, west of Kidlington and west of Botley.
It would price £800m and produce a possible 840 megawatts (just below one gigawatt), sufficient to energy over 300,000 houses, the builders Photovolt say.
Manging director Mark Owen-Lloyd mentioned the extension is “common part of the DCO (Development Consent Order) process” to permit for the division to assessment additional data.
He added: “We welcome the chance to proceed participating constructively with the federal government and different stakeholders.
“We remain confident in the strength of our application, which has been developed following extensive consultation and detailed environmental and technical assessment.”
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The Stop Botley West marketing campaign group mentioned the delay is “not good news” for Photovolt because it suggests not sufficient data “in many areas” has been submitted.
A press release from the group mentioned: “We don’t know what ‘further information’ is being sought but a further four months delay is not good news for the applicant and reinforces what we’ve been saying – that they failed to provide the required information in many areas during the examination.”
Bicester and Woodstock Calum Miller claimed the decision to push again the decision is a “clear signal that the Planning Inspectorate recommended against approval”.
He criticised the method as giving the developer “more time behind closed doors to patch up a case that should already have been made”.
Mr Miller mentioned the Planning Inspectorate was “openly critical” of Photovolt’s strategy when it issued a Rule 17 letter elevating a collection of considerations and telling the applicant that its response got here throughout as “very dismissive”.
The Planning Inspectorate added that it was “extraordinary” that it had merely repeated its methodology regardless of repeated objections.
Mr Miller added: “Ministers shouldn’t be giving the developer extra time to mark its personal homework. They ought to have rejected this utility and informed PVDP to return again with a greater scheme.
“With vitality payments nonetheless uncovered to shocks in international oil and fuel markets, it’s clear that renewables should play a central function in strengthening our vitality safety.
“But if the federal government needs to deliver the general public with it on the clear vitality transition, it can’t journey roughshod over native scrutiny every time a developer’s case begins to crumble.”
